- Born
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Howard Schultz is a transformative leader who built Starbucks over four decades into one of the world's most recognized and respected businesses, a company committed to strengthening communities through human connection and innovation.
Howard's journey with Starbucks began in 1981, when he first walked the doors of the whole-bean shop in Seattle's Pike Place. There, he tasted his first sip of Sumatra and was invited into conversation with connoisseurs who took great care in not only finding and roasting the finest quality coffee, but also sharing their passion with others. In 1982, when Starbucks had only four stores, Howard moved to Seattle from his native New York and joined the company as director of operations and marketing.
A year later, in 1983, Howard traveled to Italy and became captivated with Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition to America. He wanted to create a place for human connection, conversation and one that fostered a sense of community - a third place between work and home. He left Starbucks for a short period of time to start his own Il Giornale coffeehouses and returned in August 1987 as chief executive officer to purchase Starbucks with the help of local investors.
From the beginning, Howard set out to build a different kind of company -one that delivers business excellence through a culture of compassion. In these early days, Howard created two landmark programs rooted in the fundamental belief that a business can only exceed expectations by sharing success with its people and the communities it serves. First, Starbucks offered comprehensive health coverage for eligible full- and part-time workers, among the first in the retail industry. Second, Starbucks offered partners (employees) equity in the company in the form of stock, called Bean Stock.
After growing the company to more than 3,000 stores and opening its first stores in Japan, China and Europe, Howard stepped down from the ceo role in 2000 to focus on international expansion as global chief strategist and chairman. He returned in January 2008 as ceo to lead the transformation of the company, bringing the company to sustainable, profitable growth with a renewed focus on Starbucks coffee heritage, innovation and the customer experience. Over the decade, Starbucks grew from 15,000 stores to nearly 30,000, including its groundbreaking Starbucks Reserve® Roastery locations, Community Stores, Military Family stores and a global agronomy center at Hacienda Alsacia. He opened up new educational opportunities through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, a first-of-its kind program to give partners a tuition-free college education online and committed to hiring tens of thousands of military veterans and spouses, opportunity youth and refugees.
Howard retired from the company in 2018 but rejoined Starbucks as interim chief executive officer and a member of the company's Board of Directors on April 4, 2022.
At the heart of the Starbucks Experience today, just as it has been from the beginning, is Starbucks mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Howard has been recognized for his passion, his leadership, and his efforts to strengthen communities. Howard was named Fortune's 2011 Businessperson of the year for delivering record financial returns for the company while leading an effort to spur job creation in the U.S. He has also been honored with the Distinguished Business Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council, Distinguished Leadership Award from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Horatio Alger Award for those who have overcome adversity to achieve success; the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Business Ethics given by Notre Dame University's Mendoza College of Business; the Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics from Columbia Business School; and the first-ever John Wooden Global Leadership Award from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has also been included in Time magazine's "Time 200," a list of the most influential people in the world. He is also the best-selling author of "From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America" (2019), "For Love of Country: What Our Veterans Can Teach Us About Citizenship, Heroism, and Sacrifice" (2014), "Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul" (2011), and "Pour Your Heart Into It" (1997).
Howard and his wife, Sheri, are co-founders of the Schultz Family Foundation and emes project LLC, two organizations dedicated to creating greater opportunity, accessible to all. In partnership with nonprofits, businesses and governments, the Foundation and the emes project are focused on developing and investing in entrepreneurial, cross-sector solutions designed to build more equitable systems; foster our common bonds; strengthen our democracy; and create life-changing opportunity for people and communities who have historically been at the margins of our country's promise, particularly young adults and post-9/11 veterans.
Howard earned a bachelor's degree from Northern Michigan University. He spent three years in sales and marketing with Xerox Corporation. Before joining Starbucks, he was Vice President and General Manager of Hammarplast U.S.A., a Swedish housewares company.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Starbucks Entertainment Official Site bio
- SpouseSheri Kersch(1982 - present) (2 children)
- CEO of Starbucks since 1987.
- Former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics.
- In 2012, Forbes magazine ranked him the 354th richest person in the United States, with a net worth of $1.5 billion.
- Was named Fortune Magazine's "2011 Businessperson of the Year" for his initiatives in the economy and job market.
- He was turned down for loans by 242 banks when trying to start ''Starbucks''.
- [excerpt from a letter sent to his partners condemning President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order that banned citizens of seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States]There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business. And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support[January 2017]
- [excerpt from a letter sent to his partners condemning President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order that banned citizens of seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States]We have a long history of hiring young people looking for opportunities and a pathway to a new life around the world. This is why we are doubling down on this commitment by working with our equity market employees as well as joint venture and licensed market partners in a concerted effort to welcome and seek opportunities for those fleeing war, violence, persecution and discrimination[January 2017]
- [excerpt from a letter sent to his partners condemning President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order that banned citizens of seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States]We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country and the promise of the American Dream being called into question
- [excerpt from a letter sent to his partners condemning President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order that banned citizens of seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States]These uncertain times call for different measures and communication tools than we have used in the past. We are going to accelerate our commitment to communicating with you more frequently, including leveraging new technology platforms moving forward. I am hearing the alarm you all are sounding that the civility and human rights we have all taken for granted for so long are under attack and want to use a faster, more immediate form of communication to engage with you on matters that concern us all as partners[January 2017]
- [excerpt from a letter sent to his partners condemning President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order that banned citizens of seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States]With the support of thousands of Starbucks partners and millions of customers, we have also donated half a million coffee trees to support 70,000 families, and we will be expanding the initiative this year to generate another 4 million tree donations. Coffee is what unites our common heritage, and as I told Alberto Torrado, the leader of our partnership with Alsea in Mexico, we stand ready to help and support our Mexican customers, partners and their families as they navigate what impact proposed trade sanctions, immigration restrictions and taxes might have on their business and their trust of Americans. But we will continue to invest in this critically important market all the same[January 2017]
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